FelRh032précis 17.4.2002 Sh
Felenrhyd Fawr reunion 13.8.2002
If you’re on Robin’s list you’re presumably descended from Griffith Davies and Sarah Jones via Bryngoleu, Felenrhyd Fawr or Ty’n Llwyn /Penrhyn. Information on descendants of their other children, Sarah and Elin - is sought. Can you help? Morris and Mary left no issue.
Working back in time from Griffith Davies(1) and Sarah Jones involves a variety of sources. General registration of births, marriages and deaths started in 1837. Before that births and deaths are found only as baptisms and burials in the parish registers where marriages were also recorded. Sometimes(!) these registers are beautifully legible and include helpful details such as dwelling or occupation. The Bishops’ Transcripts, submitted annually by each parish, help us to check the facts - discrepancies can occur. Churchyards can provide additional info. on gravestones which helps to prove the relationship between various supposed family members. Otherwise we’re dependent on our ancestors being named in a will (often a mine of info. listing names, homes and relationships) a book or court records. If they owned/held land we may get help from land tax assessments, tithe rent charges or in estate papers.
Griffith Davies was born 1816 in Llanfrothen to David Williams and Margaret Richards of Ty Newydd, Cae Glas. David Williams is named in the “History of the Sunday Schools of the Ffestiniog area 1800-1900”, his father being William Lewis, a pioneer of the local movement with a class in his home, Hafotty. William Lewis in 1773 married Margaret Lloyd - possibly the daughter of Griffith Lloyd and Lowri Morris m1749. (The names Griffith, Lowri and Morris recur during successive generations!) William Lewis can be identified as the son of Lewis Jones aka Lewis Mordecai and Margaret Edwards and the grandson of John Mordecai. Lewis Jones was both a weaver and farmer - small farmers often supplemented their income by practising a craft. There were in fact 2 brothers to William Lewis living as weavers in Llanfrothen c1770/80 viz John Lewis in Cae Glas and Edward Lewis in Beudy’r Garreg. When Lewis John Mordecai died he was the farmer of Tyddyn Gwyn. All we know of John Mordecai is that he was buried in 1734.
The Sunday School volume names David Williams’s wife Margaret Richards, who is also mentioned as part of a Temperance movement in the “History of the Methodists in Tanygrisiau” which identifies her as the mother of GD(1). She came from Beddgelert - the daughter of Richard Jones and Catherine Pierce. RJ was perhaps the son of John Prichard d1745. CP came from a well-documented farming family - e.g. her father Pierce Morgan (wife Margaret) left a will dated 1745. He was the son of Morgan Hughes/Catherine Pierce and grandson of Hugh Morgan Betws Garmon d1703.
Sarah Jones,
wife of Griffith Davies(1) was born in 1822 the daughter of Morris Jones and Sarah Humphreys
of Bryn Cyfergid. Of SH we know little (so far...) only that a “History of
Ffestiniog Parish” claims her to have been an expert knitter of stockings and
that her parents were Humphrey Ellis and Gwen Jones m1772. Morris Jones was the
son of Arthur Jones and Mary Joseph. Arthur Jones died in 1783 and
administration was granted to Mary Joseph and Morris Jones - a priced list of
his property having been prepared by Thomas Humphrey and Ephraim Joseph. Arthur
Jones at the time of his marriage in 1768 gave his parish as Llanystumdwy and
his baptism was found recorded there in 1745 - son of Morris Jones and Ellen
Roberts. Note that this branch of the family seems to have adopted the English
surname fashion quite early. Morris Jones however was born in 1715 not to a
Jones family but to John Maurice and Elin.